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Galleries threaten to shutter 'cause of bronze Fonz

Both Mike Brenner owner of Hotcakes Gallery in Riverwest and Brooks Barrow of the Brooks Barrow Gallery are taking a pretty firm stand against the bronze Fonz, a public sculpture proposed by Visit Milwaukee!

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While, I'm not a huge fan of the Fonz statue idea at all, if these two decide to leave and completely disrespect a city they supposedly support (or supported at one time) over something this miniscule, I say good riddance.

Blackno1> 'supposedly' support? Mike Brenner has put just about everything into showcasing Milwaukee artists in Miami early next month. I'm doing the same by hosting artists from Phoenix in January who will in turn host and promote our milwaukee artists there in Phoenix in May...we're both promoting and networking this community's art scene with everything we have...good riddance? I encourage you to try to understand the point we're making here.

I understand your point and I'm not saying that you haven't supported Milwaukee or its artists in a significant way. But, if you are so invested in Milwaukee and its artists, why abandon the city's artists you support so wholeheartedly over one statue. Plus, moving away and badmouthing Milwaukee with a vengeance doesn't do any favors for the artists that hail from Milwaukee. But, if you really feel intent on doing that, go ahead. As I said, I'm not a fan of the statue in any way, but I think making radical statements doesn't do your cause any favors; it just makes you sound erratic. Please try to understand my point.

Hey Brooks,Why are you so upset with a Fonzy statue in the middle of a city? Because you can't stand to see the public's obsessive love for mass-consumer media and nostalgia more than the lopsided aristocracy/history of an affluent, snobbish "art scene"?

One of the whiners talks about this being an "us versus them" situation, "those with common sense and taste versus the douche bags." typical ideologist baffoons. as artists you should already know that taste is subjective since the picture in the paper is of some out of shape character wearing a beret - the zenith of taste mind you.

It also mentions pulling out of J.P. Morgan accounts and bragging about J.P. Morgan having one of the biggest corporate art collections in the U.S (The collection that Miles Morgan's sword built)... are we suppose to be impressed by this? Anyone who knows an inkling about J.P. Morgan knows his historic exploits of funding wars to make a fortune - the backbone of your ridiculous urban art scene. Thanks J.P., for all youve done, maybe the statue should be of Morgan getting the returns of cash from his financing of giant wars - Slaughter for Art.

It's great to see these gallery owners get infantile when the aesthetics and "values" of civilization start to become "dumbed down" and "ugly" to them, as if the sky just started falling. Yet historically, these aesthetics and values were never beautiful from the start.

Good luck making money through art. Your galleries are of no use except for bored white people.

Mike Bremer and Brooks Barrows, start packing your bags, and don't let the door hit you in the rear end, when you leave. How arrogant for Mr. Barrows and Mr. Bremer to think that only their opinion of what is really art, that matters. Some people hate the Fonz statue idea, some people love it. Some people like Mr. Barrows and Mr. Bremer's art, and I am sure that some people hate it. GET A LIFE GUYS!!!!!! IT IS ONLY A STATUE, NO THE END OF THE WORLD!! If the Fonz statue represents a small city, so be it. Milwaukee IS A SMALL CITY!!!!! Milwaukee has LESS than 600,000 population. Milwaukee county has LESS than one millinon populatuion. SO WHAT! I LOVE our little warm and cozy city of Milwaukee, and Milwaukee County. I would rather be in small Milwaukee than the rat race of Chicago, New York, L.A. and so on. Milwaukee will not die or suffer financially if Mr. Bremer and Mr. Barrows leave town. Enjoy you trip!

Mr. Barrows, and Mr Bremer. Your love for Milwaukee can't be very deep. if a simple thing like a Fonzie statue will make you leave town. Do you even live in Milwaukee, or the elite suburbs like Fox point, River Hills, Bayside. or other snobbish community?

Public Art as well as nay other art is very subjective. I am thrilled to see any attempt at public art and would never dream of trying to censure any art. My roll as a gallery owner is to provide public access to a variety of art--for a variety of tastes. Everyone will never agree on what is best--but shame on you for trying to censure!! Have you already forgotten the Blue Shirt debacle. We should encourage all types of art--unequivcally. Come to Waukesha--we are fair to all!!

YouGottaBackthePack>Thanks for the warning, I’ll try not to let the Bronzie hit me in the a** on the way out. In all honesty, I don’t intend to leave, just close my space.

BeneathTheCityIsTheBeach> Affluent & Snobbish? Wow, weird. I drive a Volkswagen, live in an apartment and try to keep this all balanced along with being a single father. I worked my way into this from being a Marine infantryman in Somalia, to working construction as a union laborer and slowly worked into management…slowly working my way up till I could afford this space and do something meaningful for the arts here. Nothing was handed to me and part of the reason I do this in the Third Ward is due to the Gallery Nights and the opportunity that brings to expose regular people to contemporary practice.The art world generally IS elitist, agreed, but Milwaukee’s independent dealers are the underdogs wherever we go – fighting hard to establish this community’s underappreciated and under-funded art scene and reputation in the larger arts world. You want to know that the city and the community has your back in endeavours like that. In some respect, I’d rather you say “ yeah, go kick some a** for this town”, not dismissed as an affluent snob…I do take it with a grain of salt as we obviously haven’t met. Take David Lenz’s advice and put this at a custard stand somewhere…not elevated to public art – ultimately, that’s what this is all about.

BrewCityResident>Again, more than a statue. Don’t forget that VisitMilwaukee has promoted this as ART. As art, it’s a degenerate symbol that to me announces a city in existential crisis…a city whose only clear vision is in hindsight. Happy Days depicts a Milwaukee that never existed, then or now. VisitMilwaukee’s assertions that the statue commemorates Henry Winkler’s overcoming Dyslexia is a bit much. Truth is, VisitMilwaukee had to obtain the permission of Viacom to even commission the work….BECAUSE ITS AN ADVERTISING SYMBOL, wholly owned by a big media company. This is perfectly good faire for the Milwaukee County Historical Museum, but bullied into the realm of PUBLIC ART?? Rather than going to Viacom, VisitMilwaukee should have come to the arts community here as a professional courtesy.

Look - this city is at a crossroads like lots of other cities across this country…our manufacturing base has been decimated, the dollar is in relative free fall…a new economy is emerging that emphasizes creativity and technology…in short, a new economy that demands INNOVATION.

Innovation comes from creativity. Creativity isn’t the domain of engineers, PR people, etc….its patently the domain of artists, artists offering new perspectives and working in new materials….artists that are leaving in droves because Milwaukee cant or wont provide opportunity for them.

This isn’t just me talking here….it’s essentially the distilled vision of community leaders like Michael Cudahy and Paul Krajniak. That’s what Discovery World is all about…unlocking this communities capacity for innovation and creativity…not out of some abstract ideal, but due to its essentiality if Milwaukee is to hold its own in this new economy. Its serious business.

Parking a bunch of pink flamingos on Milwaukee’s proverbial front yard is funny, yes, but ultimately deconstructive. We have to keep our eyes on the ball.

WaukeshaArtDealer> Fortunately, through the hardwork of a lot of folks, Milwaukee can be selective in its public art projects.

Mike Brenner and /or Brooks Barrow- Check out Schumachers post on Racine Art in the New York Times. Again we have been singled out by the N.Y. Times. Even Racine wouldn't stick a Fonzie statue in such a prominent site-how 50-ish! MOVE TO RACINE!!!

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